What are the themes of your stories?

[Pixytokisaki14]

Warning. Much words ahead. Feel free to skip and just do the question. Or not do anything and be a spectator.
What are the deeper, subtler, more pervasive themes in your story if you have one going? I don't particularly mean genre or anything like that. But something that makes a cohesive story and makes commentary that if the reader analyzed your story, there are connections to that said theme everywhere.
As an example, "dragons" is not a theme. But something that consistently pushes the amazingness of dragons, it is even ingrained in their very personality that dragons are awesome and one should become this powerful predator, is the theme "dragons are cool and you should like them because they are powerful and *insert every other adjective to compliment them*" or more simply "power is glorious, weakness is not". Technically, any one word could count as a theme, like romance or smut, but that tells nothing as to how it connects to story or personality.
For some stories, they genuinely don't have a cohesive theme, but that's pretty rare? For example, some stories are written to be NTRs with zero commentary. The logic is so inconsistent that anything you can draw from those is nonexistent.
For my story, I use the theme of lies and truth, of committing to a role. Common questions and commentary I focus on: Does someone's acting out of a personality count as truth or not? Which is better, lies or truth and in which situation? When conflicting views on such a thing clash, what happens? That kind of thing.

Mine is a world renowned and highly skilled gunsmith wakes up as a baby girl one day. She has to use all of her knowledge and skills of manufacturing firearms to move up in the world or die trying.

 

[SumireHime]

There's food themes in all of my stories. How important it is to break bread with people, and what those connections mean. Such as, is someone being selfish and ordering from their favorite pizza place instead of the group's? Is there a motherly character (regardless of gender) who likes to cook for everyone? Is there someone who can't cook at all, and others cook for him? It's all about family, our roles in found families in the LGBTQ community. Food is a metaphor for everything in my books. A reader once wrote an essay about my books with these connections, and it blew my mind. I had no idea I was doing that before she gave that to me.

 

[Major2501]

Both of my stories somewhat include:

Blood family is not all it's cracked up to be.
Food and music can genuinely bring people together in the worst of times.
Privilege and popularity derived from wealth and nepotism is ultimately a magnet for fakeness.
Accepting that failure and losing is totally fine and helps you better yourself, along with learning and gaining knowledge which is prime. It all helps you develop as a person.
Karma is definitely a massive bitch.
No political ideal is ever perfect, nor will one ever work 100% perfectly.
Beware the wolf in sheeps clothing.
Asking for help doesn't make you weak.

 

[WeissBlatt]

I am thoroughly enjoying this conversation .
Despite not participating in it.

- Me during highschool

 

[J_Chemist]

• War is gruesome. There is no clean death, no easy death. Body parts and blood are every where. The stench is foul, unclean, and those new to it will likely puke.
• Hesitation gets you killed.
• Violence isn't always the answer, but it is always a possible solution.
• There isn't always a happy ending. Sometimes, your happy ending is having survived.
• In war, friends die. Comrades die. Neighbors die. Family die. And you will have to deal with that loss in some way. Most don't handle it well. Some embrace it. Some grow numb to it.
• Knowledge is strength. Whether it be a battle of wits or strategy - having more brain power, experience, and standing knowledge than your foe will give you the edge. However, it also makes you predictable. Those with knowledge are easy to trick as they rely on comfortable tactics and lack the random complexity of an individual who is just trying to "fuck around and find out".
• Friends sometimes are all you have. When your hundreds of miles from home, their friendship and comfort may be the one thing that keeps you moving forward.
• Hospitality, Kindness, and Fidelity will get you far. But, do not be foolish. When meeting a stranger, understand that they too may be an enemy in disguise. Treat them well but do not be quick to trust.
• Effort, Discipline, and hard work will get you far. Put in the time, the sweat, the tears, and you will be repaid. It may not happen in the moment but understand that perseverance will means that it will come eventually.
• Family is important, but if duty calls, it must be answered. He who answers the call shall forever be honored and remembered as the Hero who did what others were too scared to complete

There are plenty more but I think this will do fine.

 

[zephyrzane]

If you need advice on politics, I am a journalist that has covered the DC circuit for a while, and secondaried in international Geopolitics

Thank you! I might take you up on that at some point.

 

[Jet]

I think the most pervasive throughout my story message turned out to be that the world isn't black or white. It is grey. The same as everything within it.

 

[Rockingashe]

The theme I originally wanted to do was hopelessness, the mc not truly being able to save himself from his fate or his loved ones, but in the process learn to live with his fate.

 

[OwlrageousJones]

I'm going for a theme of what it means to seek peace in a violent world, to choose kindness instead of cruelty or apathy even when it's hard and painful.

Hopefully I can deliver!